BEING A CHAMELEON
In the light of day I look around
And see what awaits me for the day
The sun is shining and the sky is blue
What a glorious shade of blue
Then people come and I look back
And see what is needed of me
And adapt to what that person needs
With little left for me
Their needs come first
Mine are last
Where is justice there
Have I forgotten what it’s like
to free myself from fear
Now I’m older and now I’m free
And see what fear did to me
A chameleon born of chaos
Surviving to be free
Freedom lost now freedom found
The chameleon is no longer me
I can be just who I am
Who I was always meant to be
Do not adapt, do not agree
To what does not meet your needs
Until peril comes and then become
The chameleon you know how to be.
Deborah McIntosh, May 1, 2025
This and That 
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